Communications Specialist (Media Relations)

Birmingham, AL (Hybrid)

Salary Not AvailableMid Level7+ years expFull time

Posted 3 months ago

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Job Summary

Drive strategic media relations and proactive storytelling for a regional energy company, coordinating across departments and serving as spokesperson when needed.

  • Own development and execution of media plans that yield earned coverage across state outlets.
  • Must-have: 7-10 years in comms or PR with proven earned media success.
  • Standout: Experience coordinating cross-functional teams and serving as on-camera spokesperson.

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Develop strategic communications and media plans aligned to reputation and business needs
  • Identify proactive earned media opportunities and story ideas
  • Plan around media cycles, deadlines, and reporter availability
  • Translate operational and technical work into compelling, relatable stories
  • Design creative, visual media opportunities that attract coverage
  • Identify story angles that resonate with specific outlets and audiences
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with reporters and media outlets
  • Research reporters and tailor pitches to outlet interests and timing
  • Pitch, coordinate, and secure earned media coverage across the state
  • Identify and engage key internal partners early (e.g., Power Delivery)

Requirements

  • 7-10 years of professional experience in communications, public relations, journalism, or media relations
  • Demonstrated experience securing earned media coverage , not just writing or support work
  • Proven ability to develop and execute media plans , not solely react to requests
  • Strong experience pitching reporters and tailoring stories to specific outlets
  • Experience working across multiple departments to deliver communications outcomes
  • Excellent writing skills for external audiences and digital platforms

Preferred

  • Experience serving as an on‑camera spokesperson or preparing leaders/employees for media
  • Experience supporting a large, complex, or operational organization (e.g., utilities, infrastructure, industrial, or regulated environments)
  • Existing media relationships in Alabama or the Southeast
  • Experience managing communications tied to reputation, brand, or public trust
  • Strategic thinking and proactive planning
  • Creative storytelling and strong news judgment
Southern Company logo

Southern Company

4.1 Glassdoor

Together with our subsidiaries, we deliver clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy to our 9 million customers. Our focus is doing so with service excellence. That means we are leaders who take action to meet our customers’ and communities’ needs while advancing our commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. We create community value through energy, social, economic, and environmental progress. We do this through electric operating companies in three states and natural gas distribution companies in four. Our family of companies draw on diverse energy sources to create the best mix for our service areas, including electricity, natural gas, solar power, carbon-free nuclear, and other sustainable sources. We leverage our leading distributed energy infrastructure company and other innovative technology to better serve every customer. Our competitive, national generation company serves wholesale customers, and our family includes a fiber optics network, and telecommunications services.

Founded in 2001
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
12K employees (387 in marketing)
81% recommend to a friend
83% CEO approval

Traffic Signals

Monthly Visitors
5.4M
Monthly Google Ads Budget
$1.1K
Traffic Source Mix
Search
6.3%
Direct
51.7%
Referral
41.6%
Social
0%
Paid
0.2%

Headcount Trend

Current headcount: ~11.8K

Marketing Team

Marketing Team Size
232 (2% of company)
Median Career Experience
25 years
Median Tenure
17.4 years

Funding

Total Funding
$4.4B
Last Raise
Post IPO Debt, 7 months ago

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